Many organizations desire to limit access to their facilities and work sites to authorized persons only. Typical among these organizations are private companies, universities, schools, governmental agencies, military installations, and the like. Means for access control frequently involve the use of ID badge readers which in turn are linked to automatic gates or turnstiles. These automatic gates are activated to admit a person only when a valid badge is read by the reader. Often ID badges have a picture printed thereon of the badge-holder which provides an extra measure of security.
While there are a number of types of badge readers in use, an increasingly popular type is the proximity reader which does not require a badge to be physically inserted or run past a read head to operate. Proximity reader systems operate with ID badges which contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) device. An RFID is an electronic device, able to be made very thin and easily incorporated as part of an ID badge. RFIDs require no power source of their own to operate. The RFID device operates as a transponder and transmits stored information when held near a badge reader which in turn contains an RF transceiver tuned to the frequency of the RIFD. If the information transmitted by the RFID transponder is recognized as valid by the proximity reader, the gate is opened and the badge-holder is allowed access to the facility.
Since this type of RFID-containing proximity badge takes some time to make and is relatively expensive, they are not usually used for visitors and others who require only temporary authorization to enter a facility. Most often used is a simple paper badge having no image or other visitor ID which is filled out manually by a security guard. Such an ID badge is easily counterfeited and represents a security loophole that increases the risk that an unauthorized person will gain entry to a confidential or secure area.
Thus there exists a need to provide a badge making system that can quickly make inexpensive badges which may be used for visitors or other persons for whom access control is desired on a temporary basis, and which also may be recognized by an automatic access control gates controlled by proximity readers.